Clinton Says He'll Try To Attend Games

July 20, 1994|By CHRISTOPHER KEATING; Courant Staff Writer

BOSTON — Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. met privately with President Clinton on Tuesday regarding the Special Olympics World Games, and Clinton said he will make every effort to attend the competition next year in New Haven.

Weicker and his entourage talked to Clinton for about 10 minutes after the president delivered a speech to the annual summer meeting of the National Governors' Association.

Clinton, a former chairman of the governors' group, extended his stay at the session and walked around the tables to greet his former colleagues individually.

When Clinton was walking toward the podium to deliver his speech, the first governor he greeted was Weicker.

``He told the governor, `I like your tie,' without knowing that he was going to get one later,'' said Arthur Hennick, Weicker's former deputy press secretary who now serves as the spokesman for the Special Olympics World Games.

Weicker was wearing a brightly colored blue tie with the American flag and World Games logo. During the private meeting backstage, Special Olympics athlete Wendi Little of Guilford presented Clinton with the same type of tie. Clinton took off his jacket and tie, and immediately put on the Special Olympics tie, Hennick said.

During the governors' meeting Monday, Weicker made a speech and showed a videotape to promote the Special Olympics World Games that will take place in the New Haven area over 10 days next July. Weicker, who supported increased funding for the disabled when he was a U.S. senator, serves as the chairman of the board for the games.

The state has arranged a $20 million loan guarantee for the games, but officials say they intend to raise all money privately and not use any state money for the event. The overall cost of staging the competition for more than 6,700 athletes from 139 countries is about $28 million.

Timothy Shriver, the president of the games and an attendee at the meeting with Clinton, said Clinton promised he ``will make every effort he possibly can'' to attend the games in the same city where he attended Yale Law School.

Clinton already has agreed to be the honorary chairman of the games.

The organizers are expecting up to 20 heads of state at an event that Weicker says will have twice as many participants as this year's Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

Shriver presented Clinton with a T-shirt that was designed for the games by Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. The shirts, which will be sold to raise money, have Garcia's design on the front and the World Games logo on the back.

Besides Weicker, Shriver and Hennick, the meeting with Clinton was attended by Litchfield County resident Susan Saint James, an actress and longtime advocate for the mentally disabled; state Rep. William Dyson, a New Haven Democrat who serves as treasurer of the games; Weicker's wife, Claudia; and other staff members.